de wallace



' Patented Apr. I8, |899.

3 Sheets-Sheet l.

H. DE WALLACE. ENGINEERS ALARM. (Application filed Oct. 19, 1896.)

(No Model.)

(Nd Model.)

3 Sheets- Sheet 2.

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No. 623,503. Patented Apr.` I8, |899.

, H. DE WALLACE.

ENGINEERS ALARM.

(Application led Oct. 19, 1896.)

Unirse. Stearns HARRY DE VALLACE, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF TVVO-TIHRDS TO JOHN H. KlLBANE AND JOHN M. MCLELLAN, OF SAME PLACE.

ENGINEERS ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,503, dated April 18, 1899.

Application filed October 19, 1896.

To @ZZ whom, if; ntcty crm/cariz:

Be it known that l, HARRY DE WALLACE, of St. Paul, Ramsey county, State of Minnesot-a, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engineers Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locomotive-engineers alarms or signals adapted to serve as a reminder of different orders received by the xo engineer when leaving a given point and to be executed prior to his arrival at destination.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and accurate device which may be set by the engineer before starting out on his trip or at any point along the line and which will automatically act to sound a bell or other signal to attract the engineer-s attention or to notify him of his arrival at a certain point upon the line where an order is to be executed.

A further and particular object is to provide a device that is mechanically durable and reliable; that will stand considerable hard usage; that will require the least possible attention on the part of the engineer; the operationof which will be in exact accordance with the speed and movements of the engine whether moving forward or back; that will operate to set off the signals at the proper point regardless of the number oftimes the engine has to back, as in switching, and that may be employed without modification on any railroad or branch regardless of the varied distances between stations; and a iinal object is to provide a device of this class wherein the signal will operateuntil it is shut off by the engineer, thereby compelling his attention.

The invention consists generally in a locomotive-engine or car provided with a suitable signal device and automatic means governed by the travel of the`engiue or car for releasing said signal device and permitting its operation at any predetermined point on the road. Y

The invention consists, further, in the combination, with a suitable dial, of a hand arranged to move in directions in time and in speed corresponding with and less than that of the locomotive, dogs adapted to be pro- 50 jected into the path of said hand, and an alarm or signal device adapted to be actuated Serial No. 609,319. (No model.)

by the release of a dog or trigger, whereby the arrival of the engine at a point on the road corresponding with that previously indicated by the dog on the dial is announced.

The invention consists, further, in the constructions and in combinations hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be more readily under- 6o stood by reference to Jthe accompanying draw ings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a front elevation of an alarm embodying myinvention. Fig.2isavertical I sectional view on the line c Qc of Fig. l. Fig.

3 is a sectional detail taken from Fig. 2 and showing the gear-wheel out of engagement with the bell-stem. Fig. Llis a detail sectional view. showing the normal position of a dog or 7o trigger. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the means for driving the hand and the bell-stem. Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section, illustrating a modified form 0f my device. Fig. 7 is a side elevation illustrating one '75 means for connecting the alarm to a locomotive.

As shown in the drawings, 2 represents the base, one end of which is devoted to the slides or guides 3 3, adapted to hold the schedule- 8o card 4. The remainder of the base is devoted to the dials. The dial and the schedule are thus so closely associated as to render acomparison easy. The schedule-card bears the names of the stations upon the run of the engine or train. In the drawings I have illustrated a card employed between St'. Paul and Duluth, Minnesota, upon one of the lines leading out of St. Paul. The various stations are set down in their order going north. Op- 9o posite the names is a column 5, containing the mileage, preferably in even figures, as my device is so arranged that the alarm will act a mile ahead of time, though this is not essential. Another column o' contains the dif- 95 ferent characters or letters employed to designate the spaces upon the dials, within which the exact mileage iigures or adjustment may be found. I thus provide three checks comprising the name of each station, its distance loo from the starting-point, and the group of stations within which it is embraced. On the opposite side of the card the stations, the mileages, and the characters or letters are arranged in the going-south order, or, more generally speaking, in the reverse order, so that the direction of movement of the dialhand need not be altered when the engine is turned to make the return trip.

For convenience and to adapt my device to at least a two-hundred-mile run I prefer to use two dials, which may be of small diameter*in fact, little larger than I have shown in the drawings. The dial 7 is placed or made upon the face of the base or casing 2, while the dial 8 is raised above the same to admit the hand i) being placed between them. Each dial preferably has 011e hundred spaces or gradnations, and these spaces are figured in groups of five, the figures being placed opposite the fifth, tenth, fifteenth, the., graduation. The group letters, or characters, are preferably placed in the middle of each group of tive, A indicating the group for the first five miles, B the group from the fifth to the tenth mile, and so on. T, the twentieth letter of the alphabet, is the lastletter upon the smaller or upper dial.

U represents the first group of five miles indicated on the larger dial, and single letters are used to Z, after which combinations of letters, as 3", St, and lthe like, are used to represent the remaining groups up to that indicating one hundred and ninety-five and two hundred miles.

lO represents a dog or trigger. There are twenty of these-one for each group of five upon the dial. These dogs or triggers may be of any one of many constructions. In the drawings I have shown two forms ofthe same. That which I prefer 011 account of its simpleness is shown in Figs. l, 2, and i. The dog comprises the rod ll, adapted to move longitudinally in the guides 12, which guides are made to form a small yoke, being connected by the bar 13. The yoke is pivoted upon a rivet or pin It near its inner end. l5 represents a stout coiled spring arranged between the outer end of the yoke or guide and the small cross-piece or shoulder 1G, provided on the middle part of the rod ll. 16' represents a coml'iaratively light spring provided around the rod Il in the opposite end of the yoke. On the outer end of the rod is the cross-bar or hook portion 17, preferably pivoted to the rod and normally held at right angles thereto by the pressure of a light spring 18, andvbearing on an eccentric lug 19 on the part 17.

20 is a head or button which may be grasped to draw out the trigger. The button lnay, if desired, bear the letter of the group to which it belongs. As the yoke of each trigger is pivoted, the trigger may be swung into any one of the notches 2l corresponding to the graduations opposite it. ln this way I avoid the inconvenient multiplication of triggers. The hand f) is provided with a double beveled or raised point 22, and when the hand arrives beneath a trigger set over the edge of the disk, as shown at 23 in Fig. 2, it will force the end of the part 17 out, so that it will slip back upon the face of the dial. The part 17 may be hooked under the dial more than shown, in which case the small springs 1S are particularly valuable. I sometimes prefer to forni the bar 17 rigidly on the end of the trigger-rod ll. Referring to Fig. 2, it will bc seen that the hand is fixed upon the sleeveshaft 2i, which shaft is driven from the wheel 25. A clutch 2U is interposed, so that the hand may be freed from the driving-wheel 25 when it is desired to set the hand back to the zero or other point upon the dial. The clutch -lever 27 (see Fig. 5) preferably ex tends down through the bottom, or the side, of the base or casing 2, so that it may be operated with one hand, while the other hand is used in setting the hand or pointer 9.

28 is a shaft having bearings in the dial 8, and in the bracket 29, provided on the inside of the base. The shaft revolves freely in these bearings, while the hand or pointer revolves freely about the shaft.

30 represents a gear-wheel 011 the shaft 28, through which the shaft is driven. The outer end of the shaft is preferably enlarged, and it carries the bell 3l, which rotates continuously with the shaft.`

2 represents a longitudinal slot in the outer part of the shaft 28.

33 is one-half of a suitable clutch pressed inwardly by a spring Si and adapted to be drawn out by means of the knob 35, the stem 3G, and the cross-pin 37, extending through the slot 32 and into the clutch part 33.

3S is a large gear-wheel loosely journaied on the shaft 2S and preferably turning against the shoulder 39 therein. This gear forms the other part of the clutch by which the gear is locked upon the shaft to rotate therewith. 'The gear meshes with a small pinion AIO, which, with the revolving bar 4l, is journaled on the stud 42, projecting outwardly from a convenient fastening upon the dial, and is stationary. Eccentric or loose hammers 43 are carried on the baril, so that as the bar is revolved the hammers will strike the bell to sound the same. \Vhen the clutch part is out of. engagement with the gear 3S, as shown in Fig; 3, the shaft 28 will rotate without the gear, the gear being held simply by the pinion and the friction of the pinion 011 its stationary stud or bearing. Given these devices it is only necessary to provide means whereby at desired moments the clutch may be tripped and allowed to engagethegear. Suchadevicemaycomprise the longitudinally-movable cone 45 to be engaged by the inner ends of the trigger-rods as they are shot in by the heavy or strong springs 15. Such a stroke from a trigger-rod will snap the cone outward, and it will strike the bell-crank trigger or dog 4G, preferably pivoted within the slot 32 and having an end 47 normally resting beneath the clutch part 253. The stroke of the conc will disengage IOS IIO

this trigger from the clutch, which will instantly engage the gear to rotate the same and actuate the hammers to strike the rotating bells. A light spring 4S projects the trigger 4G, and another light spring 49 returns the cone 45. 'Ihe spring l5 upon the trigger-rod 1l has only a given throw, so that the cross-piece on the trigger-rod leaves the end of the spring 15 and continuing the inshoot movement compresses the light spring 16'. This is due to the momentum of the trigger. Hence when the same is expended in the stroke upon the cone the trigger will be part way returned by the light spring 10 and will beheldinnormalposition. (IndicatedinFig. 4 and also in Fig. l.) The dial-hand is driven through speed-reducing means from the front truck of the locomotive or other convenient part of the engine, or it is obvious that the alarm may be placed in the baggage-car, coach, or caboose and driven from one of the car-axles.

I have shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings a suitable connection between the signal device and one of the axles of the locomotive. As here shown, the shaft 5l extends forward from the cab and is supported in suitable lugs beneath the hand-rail, and the forward end of the shaft is provided with a suitable bevelgear 70, that engages with a similar gear 71 on a suitable Vertical shaft 72. This shaft is provided with a worm 73, that engages the worm-wheel 74 on the axle 75. The means for transmitting the motion from the axle to the hand is preferably worm-gearing,as shown in Fig. 7, though other gearing or belts may be employed. The movement of the hand is so slow that other means are preferable to aetuate the bell mechanism, and I therefore provide independent means for driving` the bellshaft 2S.

In Fig. 5, 50 represents aworm upon a shaft 51, suitably driven. 53 is a worm-gear provided upon the shaft 54, which at its opposite end is provided with a worm 55 to engage the worm-gear 25. 5G is a slip-joint in the shaft 54 to relieve the alarm device from as much vibration as possible. By this gearing the hand is driven very slowly. The speed of the shaft 2S is made greater through the employment of a smaller worm-gear 57, also engaging the worm 50 and driving,through shaft 57', a bevel-gear 5S, meshing with the bevel-gear 30, that is upon the shaft 2S. The difference of speed will be equal to that between the two gears 53 and 57 and the worm 55 and the gear 58.

Instead of providingpositive means fordriving the bell-hammers I may employ a clockspring or like device; but the inconvenience of winding and attending to the same and the liability of failure therein makes the use of the mechanism shown preferable. Instead of either of the bell devices described I may employ means such as I have shown in Fig. G, where a number of small hammers 60 are arranged beneath the bell. Each hammer is upon a bell-crank, the lower arm 6l of which is adapted to engage a small rack G2, carried by the trigger device. The trigger is drawn back by a strong spring 63, and the passage of the rack beneath the hammer will cause the latter to :strike the bell several times. The rack portion of the trigger is preferably held to a straight movement, while the outer part of the triggeris pivoted orswiveled thereon. The dog or pin may also be altered, as indicated in Fig. 6, comprising a pin G4, held over the edge of the dial S by a spring G5, provided within the thumb part 67 of the trigger.

It will be obvious to any one skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the apparatus that I have described and shown without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not restrict myself to the precise construction herein shown and described.

The word dial as used herein is intended to mean any kind of scale or indicator.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination, with the dial, of the hand to travel thereon, a signal device, and dogs or triggers to be actuated to permit said signal device to be released and actuated by suitable intermediate connections, substantially as described.

2*. The combination, with the dial, of dogs or triggers arranged to be set thereon, a hand adapted to indicate position and to release the dogs or triggers which have been set upon said dial, said dial and hand being relatively revoluble and a signal-operating device or mechanism permitted to be actuated by or dependent upon the operation of said dogs or triggers when released, substantially as described.

3. The combination,with the dial, of ahand, said dial and hand being relatively revoluble, a series of spring dogs or triggers adapted to be moved and set on said dial and to be disengaged therefrom by said hand or like part, and a bell-ringing device or mechanism dependent for its operation upon the action of said dogs or triggers when disengaged from said dial by said hand, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a-stationary dial, of a hand, means for rotating the hand, at a speed proportionate with that of the locomotive or car, spring-dogs provided upon said dial and adapted to be set thereon in positions to be engaged by said hand, a bell, and a hammer mechanism whereby upon the liberation of a dog from its set position the bell is sounded, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a dial, of a hand or pointer, sai'd dial and hand being relatively revoluble, a series of spring-dogs arranged to be set upon said dial, a bell or like signal, and the signal-operating mechanism adapted to IOO IIO

be permitted to be actuated by the return of any one of said dogs from its set position, substantially as described.

G. The combination,with the dial, of a hand or pointer, a series of movable dogs or triggers arranged upon said dial and adapted to be set thereon and to be released b v engagement with said hand or pointer, said dogs or triggers being also pivoted or swiveled upon said dial to permit a given latitude of adjustment in setting the same, and a signal mechanism adapted to operate upon the release of any one of the dogs or triggers, substantially as described.

7. The con1bination,\vith the dial, of a hand or pointer, a series of movable dogs or triggers arranged upon said dial and adapted to be set thereon and to be released by engagement with said hand or pointer, said dogs or triggers being also pivoted or swiveled upon said dial to permit a given latitude of adjustment in setting the same, a signal device, and a signal-operating mechanism common to all of said dogs or triggers and adapted to be set in operation by any one thereof, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a dial, of a revoluble hand, means for driving the same, a series of dogs or triggers provided upon said dial and to be set thereon, a bell, means for supporting the same, a shaft, means for driving said shaft a bell-ringing device, and means actuated by said dogs or triggers 1o operatively eonnect said bell-ringing device with said shaft, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination, with a dial, of triggers or dogs set thereon,a signal device dependent for its operation upon the release of any one of said dogs, a schedule bearing the names of the stations in order of their distance from the starting-point, said dial being graduated and marked, and said schedule having marks corresponding with those upon the dial, the marks being placed opposite respective station-names; to facilitate the setting of the dogs upon the dial, substantiallyas described.

10. rlhe combination, witha suitable base, of a dial mounted thereon, a hand or pointer, a series of dogs to be set upon said dial, a signal device'permitted to be actuated or controlled by the release of any one of said dogs, said dial being marked or graduated, and a schedule provided upon said base and graduated to correspond with said dial, substantially as described.

11. The combination,witl1 a dial, of a hand or pointer, a series of dogs to be set upon said dial and adapted to be released by said hand, a signal device dependent for its operation upon the operation of said dogs or anyone of the same, said dial being marked and graduated, and a schedule-card bearing the names of the stations in order of their distance from the starting-point, marked and graduated to correspond with said dial, wherebythe hand may have the same direction of movement upon the dial during both the outand thereturn trips or runs, substantiallyas described.

12. The combination, with a suitable base, of a large and a small dial thereon, a suitable hand or pointer, each of said dials being divided into one hundred sections, and also into groups or sections, the section s or graduations being suitably marked, and the groups of sections being indicated by letters or combinations of letters, and a schedule bearing the names of the stations on the road traversed by the train in order, and figures and letters indicating the dial positions in groups, and

dogs provided upon one of said dials to be released by said hand, and a signal device permitted to be actuated by the action of said dogs, or either of them, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with a suitable dial, of a suitable hand or pointer, with a series of radially-movable spring-actuated dogs provided upon said dial and adapted to be set thereon, cushion-springs to return said dogs to their release positions, and a signal-actuating device to be engaged by said dogs when released and freed from engagement there with by the return or final movement of the dogs by their eushionsprings, substantially as described.

14. The combination, with a suitable dial, of a suitable hand or pointer, means for rotating the same, a series of dogs or triggers provided upon said dial and comprising a longitudinally-movable rod arranged in the swiveled guide, and having in its outer end a crossbar or hook portion to engage the edge of the dial, a spring for shooting in the said rod, a cushion-spring to return the same part way, and a signal actuating or releasing device adapted to be operated by the engagement of a dog, substantially as described.

15. The combination, with a dial and a suitable hand or pointer, of a series of spring-dogs provided upon said dial, ashaft and bellsuitably supported, a hammer device, a gear to operate the same, said gear being journaled upon said shaft, a clutch carried bysaid shaft, a trigger to hold said clutch out of engagement with said gear or a clutch part thereon, and a device longitudinally movable upon said shaft to be engaged by said dogs and to trip the clutch-trigger whereby said gear is connected with said shaft to rotate therewith and operate said hammer device, substantially as described.

1G. The combination, with a series of dogs adapted to be set, of means for automatically returning the dogs when released from the set positions, a part to release said dogs in order of their positions when set, and a signal device operative upon the release and automatic return of any dog, substantially as described.

17. The combination, with the dial, of a series of dogs arranged thereon and each eapable of adjustment to any one of a limited number of points upon the dial, a movable IOO IIO

hand to engage and release said dogs,means i for returning the dogs when released, and a i signal dependent for its operation upon the return of said dogs, or any one thereof, substantially as described.

18. The combination, with a suitable dial and a hand, of a series of movable dogs or triggers, returning-springs therefor, said dogs adapted to be released by the relative movement of said dial and the hand, a movable part common to all the dogs to be operated by the return of any one of the same and a device dependent for its operation -upon the movement of said common part, substantially as described.

19. The combination, of a series of` dogs adapted to be set, with means for automatically returning said dogs when released, means for releasing the vsame in the order of their positions, a suitable shaft, means for driving the same, a clutch, a common part to be actuated by the return of either of said,

dogs and adapted to operate said clutch, and a part dependent upon said clutch for its operation and whereby a further device is operated, substantially as described.

20. The combination, With a dog adapted to be set in a given position, of means for releasing and returning said dog, a suitable shaft, a wheel loosely journaled thereon, a clutch part movable upon said shaft to engage said Wheel with the shaft and adapted to be operated by the return of said dog and a signal-operating device to be operated by said wheel, substantially as described.

21. The combination, with a suitable shaft, of a part longitudinally movable thereon, a clutch part, a wheel provided upon said shaft to be engaged by said clutch part when said clutch is freed by the operation of said longitudinally-movable part, means vfor disengaging The clutch part, a signal device to be connected with said Wheel, or equivalent part, and a series of dogs, either one of which is adapted to operate said longitudinallymovable part, and means for actuating said dogs, substantially as described.

22. The combination, with two dials, of a revoluble hand, dogs to be set upon one of the dials, to indicate positions upon either dial, and adapted to be disengaged by said hand, a signal device, and said dogs adapted to cause the operation of said signal device when either of the dogs is released, substantially as described.

23. The combination, in a train or engineer alarm, of a dial, with a part or dog to be set in a given position with respect to said dial, moving means for releasing and accomplishing the return of said part or dog and a signal device dependent for its operation upon the return of said ,dog, substantially as described.

24. The combination, in a train alarm or indicator, automatically actuated by the movement of the train or other carrier, of a dial, with a hand, a part to engage with said hand and to be moved thereby, and a signal distance from the starting-point and also having marks opposite the station-names corresponding to the marks upon the dial and indicating the group in which corresponding distances Will be found upon the dial.

26. The combination, With a locomotive engine or car and the running-gear thereof, of a mechanical signal, its actuating mechanism, and automatic means governed by the travel of the engine or car for releasing the signal-operating mechanism at any predetermined point on the road, substantially as described.

27. The combination, with a locomotive engine or car, of a signal device, and automatic means governed by the travel of the engine or car for releasing said signal device and permitting its operation at any predetermined point on the road, substantially as described.

28. The combination, with a locomotive engine or car and the runninglgear thereof, of a signal device, its actuating mechanism, and automatic setting means upon the operation of which said signal is dependent, and means governed by the travel of the engine or car. for releasing said setting means at a predetermined point in the travel of the locomotive or car, substantially as described.

29. The combination, with a locomotive engine or car, of a dial or scale having marks indicating distance, a setting device or devices, a signal dependent upon said setting device or devices, and automatic means to be governed by the travel of the engine or car for releasing said setting device or devices upon which the operation of the signal is dependent, substantially as described.

. 30. ln an alarm or indicator, the combination, With a clutch-disk, of triggers or dogs comprising spring-actuated levers to engage and move said disk.

31. The combination, With a clutch-disk 45, and mechanism rendered operative by the action thereof, of a trigger or dog adapted to move into and out of contact with the face of said disk, and means for actuating said trig- IOC IIO

eluteh or like part of an alarm or indicator, edge of said dial, and a clutch-disk adapted and comprising a pivoted or swivel plate, a to be actuated bysaid triggers, substantially spring-rod mounted thereon and a bar or head as described.

on said rod, substantially as described. 5 3l. The combination, with thedial, of asemy hand this 2d day of October, A. D. 1896. I5

ries of trimfers arranged thereon, a pivoted Y T 1 plate upoiowhieh each trigger is mounted, IIARRX DE XVALLACE' whereby each trigger is allowed a certain In presence ofamount of adjustment upon said dial, Spring- J. Q. ADAMS, 1o rods upon said triggers adapted to engage the JNO. C. MCCARTHY.

l In testimony whereof I have hereunto set i 

